page_title: USS Hanson (DD-832)
section_title: Korea, 1950–1953
hierarchical_section_title: USS Hanson (DD-832) / Service history / Korea, 1950–1953
caption_attribution_description: The South Korean frigate Apnok (56) alongside the U.S. Gearing-class destroyer USS Hanson (DD-832) for temporary repairs, at Wonsan harbour, Korea, on 26 May 1951, after being hit three times by North Korean shore batteries. The Hanson made temporary repairs to the hull, and furnished electrical power. The Apnok was the former U.S. Tacoma-class frigate USS Rockford (PF-48), which had been transferred to the South Korean navy in October 1950.
context_page_description: USS Hanson was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, United States Marine Corps of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Fifteen, a quintuple ace who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
context_section_description: After extensive training in the Caribbean, USS Hanson headed north back to Newport, RI. On 6 January 1950, Hanson in convoy with elements of the Sixth Fleet, including Midway, at least two cruisers Newport News was one), twelve destroyers in all, including the Power and support auxiliaries, headed across the Atlantic. This would be Hanson's third Mediterranean cruise. Port calls included Spain: Rota, (Island of Majorca), Gibraltar B.C.C., Libya, Sicily, France, Greece: Alexandropoulus, Italy: Pisa, Livorno, Trieste, Taranto. By May 1950, Hanson was headed west from Gibraltar after ending the Med cruise making her home port on June 1, 1950. Once Hanson returned to Newport, RI in June 1950, she was ordered to change home ports to San Diego. But on 25 June 1950, armed conflict broke out on the Korean peninsula. Hanson would be scheduled to steam to Korea via the Panama Canal, bypassing her new home port of San Diego and heading straight to Pearl Harbor, to become part of T.F.77, bound for Pusan, Korea, escorting US Marines to the war zone.
  World crises shifted from Europe and the Mediterranean to the Far East in 1950, and Hanson joined the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 12 July, to prepare for her role in the Korean War. En route to and when departing from Pusan, Hanson provided plane guard for the carriers, acted as a beacon for returning aircraft (bird dog operations), fired shore bombardment and sought out enemy planes with her air search radar. Her first duty off the war-torn country saw Hanson, along with 300 other warships, participating in the amphibious operations at Inchon on 15 September 1950. The tides at Inchon changed as much as 30 to 40 feet, and the currents were fierce, making it very difficult for the troops to get ashore. Anti-ship mines were a great hazard and extra lookouts were posted to locate and destroy them using the 40 mm's. The North Koreans would tie two mines together using a length of cable causing the two mines to draw together against a passing ship setting off the mines and damaging or sinking the vessel. North Koreans would also place mines and fishermen in fishing vessels to trick US ships into helping the people aboard; the mine(s) would detonate, damaging or sinking the Navy ship. Hanson on two occasions encountered such fishing boats full of people and mines, but stayed clear and fired its 40 mm's on the vessels causing them to explode and sink taking the boats' crews down with them. The North Koreans also let mines float freely on the open ocean, which was against the Geneva Conventions. Hanson headed to Sasebo, Japan, her temporary home port about two weeks before Thanksgiving of 1950. On Thanksgiving Day Hanson then left Sasebo and headed back to Korea and the battle zone. It would be general quarters every day at dawn and at dusk. The only reprieve from battle stations would be on Sunday, which was the time for at-sea refueling and for replenishing provisions and ammunition. Hanson would stay at sea until mid-January 1951, before returning to Sasebo. By the end of 1950, Hanson was at sea for 254 days of the 365-day year. Hanson also provided fire cover for the successful evacuation of Hŭngnam and Wonsan, just before Christmas that year. Hanson would finally reach her new home port of San Diego in April 1951.
  Hanson's second combat cruise to Korea, September 1951 to May 1952, took her along Korea's east coast as a unit of the fleet bombarding strategic shore targets in support of ground troops where her accurate fire was most effective. Hanson aided the rescue of the soldiers and marines of the Chosin Reservoir, referred to as the "Frozen Chosin". As part of a unit detached from Task force 77, two destroyers -- Ernest G. Small and Hanson -- cruiser Helena and battleship Missouri, were sent on a gun strike in Hungnam harbor. Hanson, along with the Helena, received instructions to blow up railroad movements along the Korean coast. Helena would bombard one end of a railroad tunnel as the train entered it and Hanson would bombard the other end once the train was within the tunnel. Imme
caption: USS Hanson helping ROKS Apnokkang PF-62. Her hull number is not visible. 26 May 1951, Wonsan Harbor,  Korea
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